iTunes Icons that Never Were

By Jeff Gamet

Oct 11th, 2011 12:09 PM EDT

Love it or hate it, Apple’s iTunes icon is easily recognized. That familiar note in a circle design, however, could have been something entirely different had Apple gone with one of the ideas cooked up by designer Felix Sockwell.

Mr. Sockwell had been contracted in 2004 to create some alternate iTunes icon ideas. None of the concepts he created were ultimately used, although he did have some interesting ideas.

“Looking back, all the ideas missed the mark. iTunes never needed a sales pitch or promise or proprietary device,” he said on his blog. “They just needed note in a circle. Boom. Done.”